Title IX

We help schools at the primary, secondary, and collegiate levels manage and comply with Title IX requirements.

Our team advises clients on important issues related to Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex in educational institutions and federally funded programs. In addition to gender equality in athletics, Title IX also covers a wider range of issues, including sex-based harassment and violence in public and private schools.

Clients rely on our responsive, team-based approach to help them identify potential areas of risk across the spectrum of Title IX law and regulations—and address those risks quickly and effectively. We counsel clients to ensure their policies and practices comply with all Title IX requirements, often working with them to conduct training programs that support compliance. When necessary, we vigorously defend clients in Title IX litigation in federal courts.

Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP brings personal experience to our Title IX work. Practice Chair Marissa Pollick has more than 30 years of experience as a litigator, including Title IX litigation in federal courts. Since 2004, she has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Michigan in Sports Law, Race and Gender Discrimination in Sport, and Sport and Public Policy that emphasize Title IX law and compliance. Both she and colleague Dana Drew Shaw were also student-athletes at the University of Michigan and the University of Toledo, respectively, where they gained first-hand knowledge and experience in intercollegiate athletic equity concerns. Marissa’s substantial experience working with schools and universities on Title IX investigations, athletic compliance, and litigation is supported by Shumaker’s strong Labor and Employment and Sports and Entertainment practices.